I know we had kinda expected this to happen but I don't know if I've seen on here before that it had been confirmed. Ellis posted this video where he appears to be working out of the slot on Twitter:
I just wanna ball 😭 pic.twitter.com/sFRV7iAAuZ— DeJuan Ellis (@DeJuanEllisll) February 25, 2019
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He's so quick that I swear I thought the video was playing at 1.5X speed.
Wearing #19 like Danny Coale this fall.
Good catch
Yea he does have good hands!
Is what the refs said before remembering that $bag$ they had back in the locker room
yes it damn well was.
May he always be open like Danny.
Wait where was he listed thus past season?
QB I believe
WR
Man, that dude got out of his break real QUICK.
He's gonna be a nightmare for some ACC Safeties and LBs
Hoping he can be an electric guy for us. I don't expect much out of him this year though. I can't remember hearing anything good or bad about his receiver play since getting to tech - just that he won't play qb for us and he is new to the position.
Great. How are his HANDS??
Small sample size, but he showed he can catch with his hands. My biggest problem with Savo was that he caught with his body a lot, presumably because his hands weren't good enough.
That catch was pretty good considering the pass was fast, hard and high. Probably has to be a little high over the middle.
I like how hard and intently he runs. He's not getting casually nudged off his route. I also like how his total attention is on securing the ball BEFORE he turns up-field. I hope he looks this good in a game.
Who was throwing the ball?
Typically on a slant, you want a low ball. The last thing you want is a ball off the WRs hands tipped up in the air over the middle. That is almost always an INT.
Don't you have to clear the line and the linebacker?
The line, yes. I'd think that typically on slant routes, you're looking for a throwing lane between linebackers and not trying to put it over the top of them.
I guess it's a "goldie locks" pass?
The line yes, but the LB shouldn't be there or the QB is throwing into gaps in the zone. This is why height is always touted as a key attribute for QBs, being able to see but also making throws over the linemen with the correct trajectory. a 6'4" QB's release point is usually high enough to get it over the head of the OL. A 5'10" QB has more trouble with both (See Michael Brewer)
According to all the data I have seen Michael Brewer is 6'1". He and Burmeister are about the same height and weight according to the stats.
Michael Brewer isn't 6'1" with high heels on. But you don't advertise that your QB is sub 6 foot.
If he gets "it" at receiver watch out. His twitch is unlike anyone we have had with the ball (especially at receiver) maybe ever. Quick feet, elite agility combined with real speed.
I hope he can find chemistry and works hard at developing with Willis as he is a potential game breaker.
This is such a TKP comment that I absolutely love it! QB switches to WR and if he gets it, he'll be the best we've ever had. You get bonus points.
Not the point. He has the athleticism of some of the best players we have - that doesn't mean he will be the best player.
Lahokie made a good comparison to Royal in terms of pure athletic ability. He has to have the hands, mental ability to play receiver, route-running skills and all of the other skills needed to be an effective player and not just an athletic guy who never does anything because he can't find a position.
This isn't an overly optimistic comment. I'm making the point that on here folks focus on game-breakers and he could be one - could be is the key. He isn't one yet, but he has an incredibly high ceiling.
How would you compare his twitch / quick feet / agility / speed to Michael Vick (category: anyone with the ball) or Eddie Royal (category: especially at receiver)
From an athletiscism standpoint, Royal is probably a fair comparison. We'll see if he has the receiver skills though.
I will say that I really like the young slots we have coming in. Ellis, Robinson, and Bowick will be a good, versatile group for a few years.
So what you're saying is that we're going to test the old adage that 'The Wheel Route is Always Open'
Did somebody say WHEEL ROUTE?
Fair. I worded that poorly as I wasn't including QB in my thought process. I'm not comparing to Vick or others QB's.
My point was that when you look at receivers and to a lesser extent running back and judge pure athleticism D. Ellis ranks very high and has a chance to fit extremely well. He is a great prospect - has work to do of course - but has a ceiling that is well above many others due to that ability.
Hopefully, he can realize that potential.
I will hold my expectations until he plays with pads on against some defense.
Why would he need to develop chemistry with the backup, when he's already running drills with the starter
I wonder if he has/can develop the skill set of a punt returner. Rumor has it we're in the market for one...
He's been at WR since last August
Any word on his development? Hopefully his redshirt year gave him an opportunity to learn the position so he can be a factor this year. I think it's apparent he has the skillset.
Haven't heard much in terms of his receiver skills. He did play there a decent amount in high school so it's not like he's brand new to the position. I have heard that his athleticism stands out quite a bit and that he is electric in the open field, like no one else on the team. At the very least I think he can be a contributor on end-arounds and screens. Interested to see what he could do at punt return too.
We need a playmaker at punt returner BADLY. It was painful last year having to watch us send Hazelton out there against UVA because it seemed like he was literally the only guy Fuente trusted to just call a fair catch and actually catch it.
I get your point and agree but wasn't Hazelton injured in that game and that is why he only did fair catches?
We need more than 1 guy who can catch the punt though.
Yea that's my point though. I wasn't happy with the fact that our best option was to put in an injured receiver and have him call an fair catch every time. We struggled all year with it though. Early on it was Savoy and then he dropped the one against Notre Dame. We never found a groove there.
Agreed on the open field ability. That was my point - speed, agility and true quickness to create separation. Thanks La - better worded than me.
Interesting how you say something positive here based in fact and so many people go negative.
Man it seems like he could be awesome in the slot.
Yeah, he seems pretty slotty.
Theres a Hooker joke here somewhere.....
Don't slot shame him.
"Stick it in" ...Am I doing this right?
Based on his speed, I'd love to see him get time on KR+PR duties.